Jennifer Obleman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 19, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - He may not wear a cape or tights, but armed with safety glasses, steel-toed boots, a fluorescent vest and a clear understanding of the NWT's safety legislation, Mike Ingram is working to protect Yellowknife's construction workers.

Construction safety consultant Mike Ingram started the Canadian Frontier Safety Corporation about a year and a half ago. He helps businesses develop safety programs to reduce the risk of accidents and litigation as well as lowering insurance costs. - Jennifer Obleman/NNSL photo • In 2006, the Workers' Compensation Board dealt with 149 claims in the Yellowknife construction industry • Of those, 53 were lost time injuries • The construction industry is responsible for almost one quarter of all WCB claims • In the past five years, three out of 34 WCB fatality claims were construction-related. No fatalities occurred in Yellowknife Source: Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut

A year and a half ago, the construction safety consultant launched the Canadian Frontier Safety Corporation, a business helping construction companies develop comprehensive safety programs to protect workers from accidents.

"You recognize the risks and mitigate those risks by communicating the plan to all workers," said Ingram.

"Any company that has a legitimate safety program, their incident rate goes down dramatically."

A solid safety plan can also result in greater peace of mind for employers thanks to reduced risks of litigation and lower insurance premiums, he added.

Ingram, who has worked in the construction industry for more than 30 years and is a construction safety officer with professional gold seal certification, helps companies put together manuals, including job safety plans and incident investigation strategies.

He also teaches fall protection courses and trains workers about using equipment, such as scissor-lifts and skid-steers.

The need for safety training has become more evident in light of events like the deaths of two Yellowknife firefighters in March 2005, which were linked to a lack of training, said Ingram.

Employers need to know safety legislation dictates they are responsible for providing safety training and equipment to their employees, he said, adding sometimes companies saying safety is their number one priority is all talk.

"Preparing for safety takes extra time, and they don't put that time into their bids, and they don't allow for safety equipment costs. They talk the talk but they don't walk the walk," he said.

What employees need to know is that they have the right to refuse unsafe work - and the law says they can't be fired for it, he said.

Safety practices are improving in Yellowknife's construction industry, but not as fast as Ingram would like.

"I would say it's improved tenfold in southern Canada compared to the North. More and more people are going home every night to their families with all their fingers and toes and everything," he said. "Incident statistics have dropped dramatically in the rest of Canada. We haven't seen that here."

The skilled labour shortage and the transient workforce compounds the situation in the city, but the biggest challenge to making the industry safer is getting construction companies to buy in.

"They don't see the need because they've survived so far," said Ingram.

"But there are companies out there that go for years without incidents, not because of luck, but because they have a good safety program."

In 2006, there were 149 Workers' Compensation Board claims related to the construction industry in Yellowknife. So far this year, there have been 139.

Improved safety training could do a lot to reduce those numbers, said Susan Abernethy, statistical analyst with the board.

"A lot of those claims are due to falls and over-exertion, which can easily be addressed by training," she said, adding over-exertion can include situations such as improper lifting or one person doing a two-person job.